In order to facilitate hardware implementation for telecommunication applications, the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG™) has developed hardware standards known as Telecom Computing Architecture (TCA) standards. The standards specify a number of requirements such as mechanical features (e.g. rack size, board size), electrical features (e.g. supply voltages, max power consumptions) and interworking features (e.g. backplane communication characteristics) which allow standard hardware modules and elements from different vendors to be used together. Specifically, the MicroTCA standard has been developed to provide flexible and efficient interworking and integration of smaller modules with lower power consumptions.
Testing of hardware functionality, for example at the manufacturing stage, is important to ensure high reliability. Specifically, it is important for many platforms to support boundary scan /JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) testability for preferably both in-deployment (i.e. customer accessible) and for manufacturer test purposes. Accordingly, MicroTCA platforms can include functionality for receiving incoming test data and for transmitting output test data to an external test controller. Furthermore, as a MicroTCA platform typically comprises a plurality of different modules that all need to be tested, it is important that the functionality for performing the tests is flexible and can efficiently test different modules of the platform.
However, the prior art MicroTCA test systems tend to be relatively inflexible and/or to require high complexity in order to provide sufficient test functionality and/or external interface support.
Hence, an improved system would be advantageous and in particular a system allowing increased flexibility, reduced complexity, reduced cost and/or improved functionality would be advantageous.